


A Prince's Heart

by pockyhyun



Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, M/M, Minhyun-centric, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-01-25 20:30:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12540560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pockyhyun/pseuds/pockyhyun
Summary: Hwang Minhyun looked like perfection and the people were besotted by him, too engrossed by his smile and charms to notice the glint in his eye that gave off that perhaps the man wasn’t an angel, but a devil instead.In which a seemingly heartless prince finds his heart.





	1. Chapter One

The castle of Incendium was eerie to say the least. It stood impressively atop of a rugged cliff, vicious waves threateningly splashing against the gloomy rocks, warning anyone not to get too close. The drab stone walls the castle was built from, made the castle almost appear to be a part of the precipitous cliff. Moonlight glistened off the half-ruined walls. Only two turrets remain, for the rest had been burnt down, yet they still stand tall, seemingly reaching for the sky, casting a shadow over the kingdom. To one who did not know of Incendium, it would seem desolate, that however was not true as it was indeed inhabited by the sinister king, his many men and the people of the kingdom who were to o scared to leave after the great fire because of the king's wrath.

The second son of the king, often spent his time in one of the crumbled turrets, hidden from his father's men and anyone who would want to find him. The time he spent there, away from the politics and harsh reality of the castle, was probably the happiest he could ever be in the prison he called home. He often went just before the crack of dawn, when he knew the guards shifts changed so he could easily slip past, unnoticed. Other times he went when he was supposed to be in his lessons, his teachers too afraid to tell the king that he was missing. Sometimes the prince just slept, finding the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks surprisingly peaceful, compared to the clangs of swords and harsh voices that usually ran through the castle no matter what time of day. Occasionally he drew the harsh landscape, using paints he'd stolen from the court painter. The kind old painter was probably aware of the many valuable paints being stolen by the prince, but never said anything and only smiled when he saw the prince insisting to let him paint him one day soon. 

 

*

Out of sight in the turret, the second prince awoke one day to shouts of his name coming from the king's guards. Frowning slightly he peaked over the crumbling stone, making sure to stay hidden from the guards but still being able to see them. From his rather high position he could see the guards below speaking to servants, cooks and anyone who might of seen him, entering the various rooms of the castles in hopes of finding the prince. This was rather a common occurrence yet this time they were accompanied by one of the king's advisers. Ong Seongwoo, a rather handsome man who seemed to have a scowl permanently etched on his pale face. Only a few years older than the prince, he was the youngest adviser to the King. His father had been one of the most trusted advisers to the King and when he died four years ago, the role seemingly passed onto Ong Seongwoo. The young adviser was a mystery to the prince. The vast majority of the king's advisers were greying old men, with large bellies and fat fingers adorned in rings they could probably not afford, who spent their time, when not advising the king, sleeping with whores from the local brothel and harassing unwilling servants. Ong Seongwoo was rather different. His daily attire consisted of poorly fitting plain robes that hung off his bony frame and not once had he been seen wearing jewels of any kind, expensive or cheap. He didn't seem to be romantically interested in females or males, in fact the only time the prince had seen him looking uncomfortable was when a particularity touchy whore started running her hands suggestively up and down the adviser's thigh. The Prince often heard his half siblings claim that the man was a castrated eunuch before becoming an adviser to the king. 

Watching the guards disappear into another area of the castle, the prince quickly grabbed his painting supplies, shoving them into the back of his trousers and hurriedly climbed down the burnt turret, knowing exactly where the stones jutted out making a perfect ladder, having climbed it so many times. Skipping the last stone, he jumped onto the ground swiftly turning around intending to go to his quarters and act like he had never left only to come face to face with Ong Seongwoo with a trail of guards behind him. 

Bowing, the corner of Ong Seongwoo’s lip quirked up, before addressing the Prince. "Your Highness, the Royal Majesty, King of Incendium has requested to see you in his solar at once. I am ordered to accompany you there." 

Despite not being particularly interested with the politics in the castle, the Prince knew there was no such thing as a request from the king, it was an order and that was why the guards were with Ong Seongwoo. There was no point in asking the adviser why his father wanted to see him for he knew he would only get that answer from the King. 

"Well there's no need for them to accompany us then." The prince replied back, glancing at the six or so guards surrounding him. "Is there?" 

Seongwoo didn't reply, an expression on his face that indicated he was rather bored and not up for the young Prince's antics. The handsome man turned around not waiting to see if the other man was following before heading towards to the King's private solar. It didn't take long for the Prince to follow.

*

The King's solar was cold. It was built into the face of the highest cliff in Incendium, hidden far under the castle and the only way to get to it was down a set of arduous, twisting steps plunging you into the darkness of the cliff. Every rocky irregular shaped wall was covered in intricate carved drawings, telling the stories of each king that inhabited the ghostly room. The supposed windows were merely just archways that opened up to a treacherous fall to the menacing rocks below that would instantly take your life. 

Nothing in the room was there to make it seem welcoming or warm. No fur rugs on the floor or tapestries hanging on the wall to bring colour into the drab room. Even the large fire crackling in the corner of the room brung no warmth into the solar. In the middle of the room sat a long stone table, filled with scraps of paper, ink and quills. At the head of the table was a chair, it was perhaps the only thing in the room that made you realise it belonged to someone of immense wealth. It was large, much larger than a normal chair but not as large as a throne. A deep red fabric ran down the middle of the chair and the arms and head of the chair were decorated with fancy golden jewels. Sat in the chair was the King himself. 

The King sat impressively tall and imposing. He was powerfully built, a man meant for war. His face was harsh, battle scars displayed proudly across almost every inch of his face, a particularly puckered gruesome one stretching out from his lips, making him seem like he was always smiling darkly, even when his mouth was set in a firm frown. Underneath thick brooding eyebrows, his dark hooded eyes had a threatening gaze to them, enough to send any man running. His once pitch black hair was now greying and fell in messy tangles just below his strong beard covered jaw. Instead of dressing like most royals in extravagant brightly coloured robes, the king wore a simple brown leather vest with a wolf's fur robe thrown over his shoulders. 

He didn't bother standing as the second prince and four of his advisers arrived, instead he sent away the guards situated in the solar away with a flick of his wrist. After the men had bowed his thundering voice boomed out, "sit." 

There was a chorus of "yes Your Royal Majesty" and the sound of the chairs scraping against the stone floor echoed piercingly off the walls. Eyeing the men in front of him in an accusing manner, the King sat in a rigid position, his eyes occasionally flickering to the steep drop off the cliff. The men sat in silence, the only sound coming from the harsh waves outside, spraying against the rocks. 

Eventually the King spoke, his eyes narrowing on his son. "They're plotting against me." His voice croaked slightly and he didn't explain anymore as his nose scrunched up in a scowl, his fist clenching tightly onto the arm of his chair.

"Who, Your Majesty?" The young prince spoke in a calm level voice which seemed to annoy the King.

"Who!" He screeched. "What do you mean who, you useless boy! Can you not see them devising against me?" Slamming his clenched fist against the table he stood up, towering over his son. 

A few of the advisers quivered, one gulping and nervously biting his lip. Only Ong Seongwoo remained calm, sat on the other side of the king, his eyes piercing into the prince's, silently telling him not to speak. 

"The Kim's have been trying to take my throne, ever since I was born, but I won't give it to them. They won't have it." Despite being one of the most powerful men alive, the King sounded like a child trying to make sure a sibling didn't take his toy. A vein pulsed in his forehead as he watched his son remain silent.

The ruler of Incendium hadn't always been like this. Once he was a noble King, known for his tremendous talents with a sword, a charmingly handsome man who could make anyone swoon.

Ong Seongwoo spoke quietly, his dark eyes skimming over the other advisers. "They won't have your throne, Your Majesty. The Hwang's and Kim's have been allies for thousands of years."

"We won't be allies for much longer if they're plotting against our King." Another adviser spoke up, glancing wearingly at the King, as if to check he'd said the right thing. 

A third adviser spoke up, the fattest of the four and also the oldest. "Well we need to do something about it then, to strengthen our bond with the Kim's." 

"A betrothal-" 

Before the man could finish his sentence the great King at the head of the table grabbed the front of advisers robe baring his teeth almost like a wolf at the poor man. "You dare suggest I let the Hwang’s pure blood mix with that filth?" 

"No not a betrothal, a ward?" The eldest said quickly. "Send one of the Princes or Princess' to Roseport and have one of there's sent here. They wouldn't dare do anything whilst we have one of their kin in our grasps." 

Clapping his hands together the King grinned sinisterly, obviously pleased for the first time today. His tongue darted out to wet his lips like a snake, his dark eyes falling on the second prince. "You, I'll send you. I trust you more than your foolish sisters and your brother is the crown prince, I can't risk him going."

For the first time the young Prince seemed alarmed, his mouth gaped open trying to get out a sentence but no sounds could be heard from him. 

"You'll spy on them for me, tell me everything they have planned. Yes, yes that's perfect." He let out a ferocious laugh and the advisors laughed along nervously. "Ong, send a raven immediately to them, he has to go as soon as possible."

*

Hwang Minhyun had been a quiet babe. His mother had told him that he'd been born many moons earlier than expected and that the midwife claimed he wouldn't live to reach a month old. He survived however, much to the surprise of the Kingdom. Perhaps that was the reason his Queen mother always seemed to dote on him, having lost a child just prior to Minhyun, having him survive after being so close to death must of been a great ordeal for her. Despite having other children whom she all loved dearly, the boy had a special place in his mother's heart much to the envy of the other children. As he grew up, an unfortunately still weak child, the Queen never let him stray far away from her, always preferring the small child to be by her side where she could keep a close eye on him. The Prince didn't ever leave his mother's side, not until she died. She had been sick for years, a fragile woman, her body not coping with the birth of five children. When she passed, Minhyun had been at her side as always, holding her hand tight, a boy of eight not understanding why his beloved mother had to leave him. 

After her death, there was a dramatic change in the Prince. He became introverted, a stark difference to the spirited boy he had once been. He neglected his lessons, instead seeking comfort in the burnt down turrets. The boy also leant how to fight, he didn't want to face the same fate as his poor mother, and decided he wanted to grow into a strong warrior. As he aged, his bony figure grew out into solid muscles and his face once adorned with puppy fat slimmed down, to make a strong sharp jawline that could of been carved by the gods themself and prominent cheekbones that caught the sunlight when ever he moved. His strength rivalled that of his older brother, the Crown Prince Minho.

There had always been a level of unspoken competitiveness between the two Princes. Minho becoming more wary as the younger prince grew up strong and handsome. He knew his father was not someone to be taken lightly and that if he thought Minhyun would make a better King than Minho, he'd do anything to get him on the throne. So far though it seemed, the King was rather happy with his oldest son being the future King. Minho knew how to handle all sorts, like the difficult townsfolk, who always fell for the charismatic crown Prince, with his alluring ways. This was where he was different from the young Prince. Minhyun was wary of the people around him, a rather unsocial boy who definitely didn't have the charms of his older brother, he often came across as rude and blunt. The townsfolk thought he was an outlandish child and spoke tales about the insulting prince, how different he was from his charming older brother. 

Perhaps his introverted ways, were one of the reasons he was so nervous about leaving the Kingdom of Incendium. He had spent his entire life on the bleak island, never once leaving it, he only knew the harsh moors, the vicious sea and the unruly people. But there was a part of him that was excited for the adventure. He'd read about different kingdom's before, in warmer climates with sandy beaches and sea so clear you could see the sand at the bottom. A land where flowers would actually grow and prosper, and there were humming birds rather than eerie black crows. He'd attempted to paint lands like these before, but somehow his painting's always turned into Incendium, his mind could just not visualise a place other than his home.

*

A small sigh leaves Minhyun's lips as he lowers himself into the tub of boiling water. As he adjusts to the temperature, his maids bustle about, a few staying behind the privacy screen, laying out clothes for the prince to wear, as others bring a bucket of water to wash the man's hair with and scented oils to rub on his body. The eldest maid, Yeseul, who had served his mother before him, tutted as her fingers combed through the tangles in his dark locks. 

"You need this cut, Your Highness, before you leave for Roseport." The prince clenches his teeth as she tugs her fingers through an especially stubborn knot. "You don't find maids there as patient as me, to get all of these dreaded knots out of your hair, and this mud! However do you manage to get your hair like this?" 

Rolling his eyes at the maids frustration, he replies as his eyes glance around his chamber, watching the younger maids bring in the bath oils. "My brother challenged me to a spar, I'm afraid I didn't quite win and ended up In the dirt." His dark hooded eyes switched over to watch another maid. She was young, with pale blonde hair, something the prince had never seen before. The young maid's cheeks were tinged slightly pink as she sat next to Yeseul, her eyes avoiding the naked body in front of her. She was new. The man presumed she had come with the other slaves on the ship that had arrived on the last full moon. Silently he wondered why anyone would ever willingly come to Incendium, though he was almost certain it wasn't her choice.

He sat up slightly as Yeseul continued combing through his hair. "You." He spoke in a commanding voice, causing the blonde maid's eyes to glance wearingly at him before quickly snapping away. "You'll look at your Prince, when you're addressed." 

"Sorry, Your highness." The girl bowed her head, looking like she wanted to say more but she kept her mouth firmly shut. 

"Where are you from? Your hair, I've never seen anyone with hair that fair." 

"Rowis, Your highness." Unconsciously her hand went up to her hair, running a finger through the slightly greasy strand that had fallen free from her bun.

The Prince hummed, his fingers tapping a rhythm into the side of the tub. "Is that near Roseport?" He hissed slightly as Yeseul tugged his hair willing him to lean his head backwards so she could wash it.

"I wouldn't know, I'm sorry, Your Highness."

"It is, I remember seeing it on father's battle map." 

The maid didn't respond as she was too busy helping Yeseul pour the heavy bucket of water as best as the could through the Prince's hair, making sure to wash all of the dirt out. He could tell she hadn't been a maid before this, probably some lowborn girl who had never been near a tub of water in her life. She certainly had never washed anyone's hair before as the majority of it splashed onto his face rather than onto his hair. Yeseul quickly pushed the young girls hands away, snapping her fingers at her, instructing her to go and get some fresh towels and that she'd finish washing the Prince's hair. Embarrassed the girl rose quickly, bowing to the man in the tub before hurriedly rushing off.

"Nightmare she is." Yeseul shook her head. "Never met a girl as incapable as her."

*

Four full moons after Ong Seongwoo had sent the proposition about a ward coming to Incendium and the youngest prince being sent to Roseport, he got a reply. 

The letter came attached to the foot of a particularly stunning white bird, a species Seongwoo was sure they didn’t have in Incendium. Hastily the young adviser pulled the piece of parchment away from the bird, his heart beat quickening as he saw the seal, a single rose, that he knew was the sigil of House Kim of Roseport. Even though he had advised the King for at least four years now, the man was unpredictable, and it was never easy to guess how he would react to things but Seongwoo was sure that if the Kim’s had rejected the offer, The King would fall into an almighty rage.

Seongwoo licked his lips, a nervous habit, as he broke the seal and unfolded the letter, his brown eyes scanning quickly through the contents of the letter. He let out a deep breath as his eyes found the answer.

Hwang Minhyun would be going to Roseport.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'His heart lurched in his chest as the face started leaning out of the window as if to jump.'

Minhyun stood tall on the deck of the ship, an unbothered expression on his face, hiding his true feelings as the cruel wind sent his hair flying all over the place, the drizzle of rain wetting his his clothes through to his skin. He ignored the rain, not moving from his spot as he watched the Kingdom of Incendium grow smaller and smaller, until he could only see the very tip of the tallest turret, the one he often spent the majority of his time in. Minhyun ignored the sharp twinge in his heart, he was a Prince, he was doing his duties. He was doing what he was born for. He couldn’t hold any emotional attachment to the castle, it would only be a weakness to him in the future. Clenching his fist tightly, not noticing the sting as his fingernails dug into his palm, he turned away from his home. Holding his head high he pursed his lips, his hooded eyes carefully watching the men of the ship raise the sails. This was it, this was the start of his new life.

The Prince spent the next few days, maybe even weeks, in his dingy cabin, never leaving once. Most of his days he sat hunched over his desk attempting to write a letter to his dear sisters that he hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye to, but no words came to his mind, leaving the paper blank except for their names. His paints and sketches lay forgotten in the corner of the room, he had a purpose now his Father had told him, he couldn’t be spending his time doing useless pathetic things. One of the maid’s who was accompanying him to Roseport, the same blonde one that Yeseul had criticized for being useless, had point blank refused Minhyun’s request when he had told her to throw his old sketches overboard. She had stubbornly stood still with her arms crossed other her chest and her lips closed firmly shut, refusing to acknowledge the Prince’s request.

Minhyun raised an eyebrow as his eyes followed the stubborn maid up and down. “You’ll refuse a Prince’s request will you? The very one you said an oath to obey?” 

“It’s just your highness…” Her sentence trailed off as she nervously shifted her weight from one leg to another. “They’re very beautiful drawings, in fact i’ve never never seen any drawings as good as those.”

“And I suppose you’ve seen many?” The man’s lips smirked disbelievingly causing the maid to quickly glance away in embarrassment, her usually pale cheeks steadily colouring to a flaming red. “Anyhow I don’t think it’s any of your business what I do with my artwork. But fine then if you won’t do it, I’ll just have to wait until we’ve reached shore to throw them away.” The girl nodded, bowing her head letting the blonde strand of hair that hadn’t been scraped back into a bun fall onto her face. “Now tell me, If you’re going to be in my service, I’ll need your name.

The blush on her cheeks had even started colouring the tips of her ears as she answered. “Seulgi, Your Highness.”

*

The journey to Roseport took many moons, the weather for the most of the journey was rough, even the most experienced of sailors had found it tough. Somehow the boat had made it in one piece to it’s destination, a feat that had surprised many of the ship's crew, causing the young Prince to finally leave his cabin, as he was told they were approaching Roseport and that the weather had improved. He had to put up a strong front in the enemy's den.

At his very first sight of the Kingdom of Roseport, Hwang Minhyun knew it was incredibly different to Incendium. Even from the bow of the boat, he could tell that the streets were bustling. Near the harbour, there were various carts and stands full of all sorts of fresh produce and even fish that were so fresh that they were still wiggling. The vendor's of the carts called out to passerbys in smart and engaging quips, tempting the townsfolk to try whatever delicious delicacy they had to offer. Kids dashed through the streets, screaming happily and stealing food when the vendors weren’t watching. Further back from the harbour there were various buildings, the local blacksmiths, the shoemakers and butchers were just a few of the many. Brightly coloured birds sang songs as they flew over the streets, occasionally swooping down to try and spot fish in the crystal clear sea. 

Above the busy streets sat the Castle of Roseport, an incredibly grand building that almost glowed in the brilliant bright sun. Roseport’s castle was built out of bright white stone, a striking but beautiful difference to luscious green ivy that danced all around the stone. The tallest tower was at least twice the height of the tallest turret in Incendium, Minhyun thought you’d be able to see the very end of the earth from up there. The garden’s that surrounded Roseport were almost as incredible as the castle as it’s self. The grass was greener than anything the Prince had ever seen and plants the exact same colours as rainbows decorated the land making the castle even more magical if it were possible. 

The Kingdom of Roseport looked like a painting. Like a magical land Minhyun could only dream of, like one of the places he had always wished to paint. Perhaps the Prince could learn to enjoy his time here.

Ong Seongwoo’s voice brought Minhyun out of his thoughts. “Your Highness, The Kim’s have sent some guards to accompany us to the castle. The queen will meet us there, unfortunately the King of Roseport and the Crown Prince are on a hunt so they will not be there.” The adviser had been sent to chaperon Minhyun to Roseport, due to his father’s command.

The prince nodded his head in an aloof manner, turning his back on the view of Roseport. “One would've expected our hosts to of had the decency to meet us at the docks after our long, difficult journey.”

“You’ll watch your tongue around the Kim’s, Young Prince. It’ll do you good to remember that you’re in their den with absolutely no power.” Seongwoo scolded provoking Minhyun’s face to scrunch up in disdain.

True to Seongwoo’s word, Roseport’s guards were waiting on the dock to escort them to the castle. The guards were all dressed impeccably with the sigil of house Kim, a single rose with a delicate crown, displayed proudly on the crest of their armour, and a vibrant blue cloak. Only one of them had his helmets off and was staring at the Prince of Incendium with a slight quirk to his eyebrow. The knight was handsome with broad shoulders and dirty blonde hair, not dissimilar to Seulgi’s, that lay in messy strands on his forehead. His skin was perfectly unblemished and was covered in a light sheen of sweat due to the sweltering heat.

“Your Highness.” He shrank to his knee, bowing, the other Knights following suit. “I am Daniel of house Kang, His Grace, the King himself issued me to be in your service throughout your entire stay here. I will serve you well, Your Highness.”

With a nod of Minhyun’s head, the knight’s stood. The Prince forced a particularly fake smile onto his face. “If it would be okay with you, Daniel of house Kang, I would like to meet the queen now. I can’t say I’m quite use to this heat yet.”

 

*

If Minhyun had thought the castle was beautiful from a short glance a distance away, the castle was positively extraordinary up close. From his perch on his horse, apparently horses were the easiest and quickest way to get to the castle, the building seemed even taller and impressive than he had originally thought. Despite being built hundreds of years ago Roseport’s castle was still in perfect condition, a vast difference to Incendium. There were no notable cracks in any of the stone exterior, and all four of the original turrets stood proud, soaring towards the fluffy white clouds. For a brief second the Prince thought he saw an unusually pale face at the very highest window of the tallest tower, his heart lurched in his chest as the face started leaning out of the window as if to jump. The next few seconds went incredibly slow, as though time itself had been slowed down, the figure veering further out of the window now revealing a head full of ginger hair, Minhyun wanted to scream to get someone to help the person, but no sound came out. As soon as he had blinked the figure was gone. Shaking his head, the handsome prince let out a deep, shaky breath, that he hadn’t realised he’d been holding in. He was going mad, there was no figure trying to jump out of the window, it was a trick of the light, the heat had started affecting him in weird ways.

Shaking his head and scrunching his eyes closed a few time, the Prince glanced forward, attempting to distract himself from what had hapened, only just noticing they had already arrived at the drawbridge. Ong Seongwoo who was slightly ahead, slowed his stallion down so he was just behind Minhyun.

“Head high, Your Highness. You’re about to enter the lion’s den.” The adviser had a calm, unfazed look on his face as he often did, but Minhyun found it hard to believe that he was totally calm, he had said it himself, they were entering the lion's den.

The Prince of Incendium sat high on his horse, holding his head high. His handsome face was set in a confident smile, as he urged the creature forward. Hwang Minhyun had the blood of Incendium, the blood of the very first King’s, running through his veins, he was powerful and he was mighty. He would show the Kim’s what Hwang’s were made of, what true King’s looked like. He would show them the power of Hwang’s and that he was a force not to be reckoned with. He was Hwang Minhyun of Incendium and he would show his worth.

*

The people of Roseport all knew about the Hwang’s of Incendium. Men and women alike told stories about the ferocious King of Incendium. They whispered of his madness, about his cruelness, about how dreadful of a king he was. Some people claimed the entire left side of his face was completely burnt, something that he had done to himself. That he walked into fire as if he was god himself, believing that he could control the flames. Other people liked to claim that he was missing an eye after he had clawed it out when he had fell into a deep rage. The people of Roseport knew of the King to be a psychotic, barbarous man and that’s exactly what they thought his children to be like that. Perhaps that was why the citizens of Roseport were so surprised by Hwang Minhyun. As he entered through the gates of Roseport, the people did not even try to hide their gasps. The man that stood before them was positively ethereal. He looked like an angel sent down from the heavens, a man too good to walk the earth. The Prince had a charming face, and a breathtaking smile that caused the ladies, and a good portion of men to swoon. Hwang Minhyun looked like perfection and the people were besotted by him, too engrossed by his smile and charms to notice the glint in his eye that gave off that perhaps the man wasn’t an angel, but a devil instead.

Hwang Minhyun elegantly slid off his horse, ignoring Kang Daniel’s hand to help him. A corner of his mouth rose up as his almond eyes found the Queen of Roseport. She was certainly a Queen. She was clothed in a light blue dress that fell slightly off her shoulders, intricate designs woven into the fabric in gold thread. A delicate gold necklace with a single rose charm sat around her pale neck. Her hair fell in soft glossy waves down her back with her fragile crown sat perfectly atop of her head. Pink lips were set in a warm smile that didn’t quite meet her amber eyes. The Queen of Roseport’s beauty was definitely different to any other women the Prince had encountered.

Minhyun with the fairly small entourage of people who had accompanied him from Incendium, respectfully sunk to their knees until the Queen announced they could rise.

“Sir Hwang Minhyun, I am absolutely delighted for you to be here.” Her smile still didn’t reach her eyes as she held a hand out for Minhyun to kiss. It was obvious she didn’t trust him. “I hope your journey wasn’t too harsh. I’m awfully sorry His Majesty the King couldn’t be here for your arrival. I’m afraid him and the Crown Prince are out hunting, hopefully they’ll bring back a mighty meal.” The Queen’s voice wavered slightly as the young Prince’s soft lips pressed against the back of her hand.

 

“I am absolutely delighted to be here, Your Majesty. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” Minhyun spoke clearly, his sweet voice sounding like honey. “I trust the King will bring back an excellent kill, I’ve heard he’s one of the best archer’s in Roseport.” 

The Queen let out a chuckle that only Minhyun could tell was fake. “Certainly, it’s been claimed he’s the best archer throughout the entire kingdoms.” Her amber eyes glowed as she bragged.

Minhyun nodded his head, noting the empty spot beside the Queen. Dissimilar to his own family, the King and Queen only had two children. The first born, a daughter, was currently residing in Incendium in Minhyun’s place and the second born, a son, the Crown Prince of Roseport. The only heir the king had. Incendium’s Prince was a smart man, he knew it wasn’t usual for a King to only have two children, especially if only one was a boy. If something ever happened to the Crown Prince, there would be no heir. 

The Queen’s voice cut through Minhyun’s thoughts. “Perhaps His Majesty, would give you a few lessons in archery. I’m aware the Prince’s in Incendium aren’t taught how to fight with a bow and arrow.”

“No we’re not, my father always claimed there were far better weapons. It would be excellent to be taught by His Majesty, himself, that is if His Majesty has time.” The Prince wasn’t keen on being taught how to fight from the enemy, but perhaps it was a perfect chance to find out more about the King.

“Very well, I’ll see if I can arrange for him to teach you. For now though perhaps it’d be best if you were shown to your quarters? I’m sure you’re very tired.”

The Prince was no fool, he knew the Queen was already not keen on him and did not want to be around him more than necessary, but that was no problem to him, for he found the sweet stench of perfume coming from the lady far too sickening and was in dire need of a fresh of breath air. So he bowed his goodbyes and let the Knight, Kang Daniel escort him to the chambers that he would be living in for the next year or so. The Knight didn’t seem too bothered that he was now only guarding a Prince from another Kingdom rather than his own Prince and had a cheerful smile on his face as he glanced back to make sure Minhyun was still following. In all honesty, the Prince was already finding the cheerfulness of the young Knight tiring, and would be glad when he could finally have some peace and quiet.

*

“What did you think of the Queen?” The Prince and his Father’s adviser were finally on their own, away from the possible prying eyes of the enemy. 

Seongwoo’s mouth was set in a stern line as it so often was as he replied back. “She seemed like any other Queen, Your Highness.” 

“You think?” Minhyun let out a snort as he stood in front of the fireplace in his chambers. The Servant boy assigned to him had seemed quite surprised when the Prince had requested him to light it due to the hot weather. But the fire calmed Minhyun. It was something about the way it cracked and licked up the sides of the fireplace, dancing among the wood. Spitting as though it were a cat, if anyone got too close. It was comforting to the boy and reminded him of sitting by the fire in his mother’s chambers as a child whilst she read to him stories about mighty Princes. “She’s smart, I can tell. Smarter than most Queen’s are. I bet that stupid King underestimates her, I could see her plotting in her head every time she spoke.”

“I believe you haven’t met enough Queen’s, Your Highness. No fool can be a queen.” 

*

That night Minhyun dreamt of the face at the very top the tallest tower. Unlike his daydream earlier, this time he was behind the figure. He could see now that it was a female, with long unruly red hair that fell all the way down to her thighs. But her back was to him and he couldn’t make out her face. He tried to call out to her, to get her to turn around however he could not make any sound leave his mouth. The only sound he could in fact hear was the sound of a grandfather clock, it’s ticking getting faster each second. With shaking legs he stepped forward, one arm stretched out desperately trying to reach for the person but as soon as his hand should of made contact with her, she fell forward, her body disappearing out of the window, an ear shattering scream leaving her lips and a deranged cackle coming from somewhere else in the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter wasn't at great as the last one, it was wrote much quicker than the first as I was really excited to get it out. It's not that interesting so far it's a bit meh (We did get to meet Daniel tho) but it'll definitely get more interesting as character's such as Jonghyun, Minki, Jaehwan etc get introduced. I've got cool ideas and backstories for most of the members of wanna one and nu'est so far. I really want them all to be quite involved in the plot. What do you think the wanna one & Nu'est & brodcue characters will be like in this book, like will a certain member be a servant or a member of the royal family etc, I'm interested to see what people think. I can tell you theres a member of Nu'est that's not Minhyun or Jonghyun that i'm really excited to write about. He's got a really interesting storyline.  
> Also I haven't proof read this chapter yet so pls tell me if you spot any mistakes.  
> Lastly thank you so much for all of the comments and kudos for the last chapter I honestly didn't think anyone would like it and it means the world to me that people read it and enjoyed it.  
> Comment and Kudo if you like, it helps me out ;)


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Perhaps Roseport isn’t as peaceful as you say?”

Minhyun’s eyes snap open to complete darkness, his heart pounding so hard that it physically aches. His breaths come out in short gasps, desperately trying to take in air whilst his red, sleep deprived eyes blink repeatedly trying to make out his surroundings. “It was only a dream, it had to be only a dream.” He repeats to himself in a hushed whisper. Sweat drips from the Prince’s brow, his hands shaking uncontrollably. His sleepwear is completely drenched and his usually perfect obsidian black hair is sticking uncomfortably to his forehead. Images of the crimson headed figure flash through Minhyun’s mind and he squeezes his eyes shut franticly trying to work out if it was someone he knew. But it couldn’t be, he’d only been here for less than a day and back in Incendium nobody had such brightly coloured hair. The night terror had felt so real, so vivid, he could've sworn he had felt her bristly hair when his hand had reached out for the figure.

Inhaling deeply the handsome man tries to stand only for his legs to buckle under his weight and give way to gravity. His muscles scream in agony all over as he tries again, this time managing to lift himself off the bed. His eyes can now make out the clear outline of the chambers door thanks to the full moon, that is letting in bright silver streaks of light through the slightly pulled back drapes. Taking another deep breath he takes a slow harrowing step forward, only managing to stop himself from falling over again by grabbing a hold of the bedpost when the girl from his dreams suddenly appears in his mind again, taunting him. Her vivid locks fan out around her, blowing in the wind as she yet again falls through the window in his mind. Minhyun lets out a pained gasp, his hands pulling at his own locks. When his mother had first passed he had often had nightmares, dreaming of the very moment the last bit of life had left her body, but even that couldn’t compare to how he was feeling now. 

His whole body is shaking as he once again starts seeing images of the person from his nightmare repeatedly bursting into his mind. Unsuccessfully he tries to think of all the happy memories he knows, but there isn't enough to help him and again the red haired figure forces her way into his head, however this time instead of a scream as she falls out of the window, Minhyun can only hear a light airy giggle. Letting out a sharp sob, much unlike his usual self, the Prince sinks to his knees in agony. Gripping his head in in his hands, he feels much younger than he is and so much more scared than he has ever been. It feels like somebody is controlling his body like he’s a puppet on a string, unable to control his own movements and his own thoughts. 

“Leave me alone.” He all but cries in a frantic attempt to be free of this figure and suddenly like a spell had been lifted he feels light, his body no longer shaking, the girl leaves his mind. Her scarlet locks evaporate into nothing and her giggling turns into sound of a clock chiming. All the Prince can see now is the abnormally comforting darkness of his chamber. 

Minhyun focuses on the muffled sound of the windows drapes blowing softly in the wind and uses the rhythm of it to slow his breathing down to normal. Once his breaths are coming out in evenly timed puffs of air, he clutches the bedpost for support and gradually lifts himself up from the ground. All the Prince of Incendium can do now is wonder who that person is, and if it was really only just a dream.

*

Having decided that there was no point even trying to go back to sleep and the fact that the grandfather clock in his room read five o'clock, Minhyun decided he’d just start his day earlier than usual. He uses the wash bowl in his room scrub any signs of the nightmare away before dressing quietly in the loose comfortable breeches and plain white shirt that Seulgi had laid out for him the previous day. 

As well as his clothes she had set out his art and paints atop of the trunk at the end of the bed and Minhyun takes a moment to run his fingers delicately over the last drawing he had done. It was of the rocky cliffs that Incendium had been built upon, he had spent hours individually painting the many waves that splashed against the rock face. At one point the young Prince had thought it was going to be his best painting yet, but now it lay unfinished, looking especially dull to Minhyun, now he had been opened up to the wonders of Roseport. In the blink of the eye the once beautiful drawing had been scrunched into a tight ball before being thrown to the flames. Minhyun doesn’t look back as he heads to the door.

Silently peering out of his chambers door he scoffs lightly at the sight of Kang Daniel’s sleeping figure. The boy was meant to be guarding him. He lets out a loud cough and knocks his hand into Kang Daniel’s shoulder to try and wake him up but nevertheless the Knight doesn’t even stir. His face is set in a content smile, his nose occasionally twitching slightly like a mouse. Grinding his teeth irritatedly, the Prince of Incendium set off on his own down the dimly lit passageway. He only just manages to remember his way around the castle. 

Even at this time of morning Minhyun can hear the low rumble of voices coming from the port and he stops by a window to watch as a considerably sized ship enters the bay. Despite being high up in the caste, he can still clearly make out the various knights and towns folk milling around the dock waiting for the ship to arrive. It yields the large maroon flag of a house not important enough for the Prince to recognise. 

“The Queen’s sister’s family, Your Highness.” A peaceful, light voice abruptly mummers from right behind Minhyun, a cool breath hitting his neck. 

Humming in response, the Prince of Incendium stands up taller, holding his head high and proud before turning around to face the owner of the voice. A cheerful face is smiling brightly back at him and Minhyun is stunned at the sheer joyfulness of the stranger. It takes him a moment before he sends one of his perfected fake smiles back as he scans the man up and down for any sign of a threat. Despite the hidden dagger that Minhyun spots glimmering in his breeches he decides that this person won’t harm him and he focuses his attention back to the stranger’s face, more specifically his eyes. His eyes appear to be warm and friendly but Minhyun doesn’t miss the calculating gaze behind his honey coloured globes. 

“You certainly know who I am, but who might you be?” Queries the handsome Prince, his face settling into an unimpressed stance.

The stranger lets out a cackle, smiling up again at Minhyun. “How rude of me not to introduce myself first. I am Ha Sungwoon, Adviser to His Grace, the King of Roseport and His Highness the Crown Prince of Roseport, Your Highness.” The Adviser lowers his head in respect. “You’re up rather early, did you often rise before the sun in Incendium?”

“Do you often carry a dagger, Ha Sungwoon?” 

His face falters for a second, before he beams up at Minhyun who is a good head taller than himself. “You’re very observant, Your Highness. I-”

Before he can finish his sentence, Minhyun interrupts. “You’re the King’s Adviser, who would dare to harm you? Roseport is said to be the most peaceful Kingdom, is it not?”

“Certainly, Roseport is by far the most peaceful Kingdom, His Grace has made sure of that.”

“Yet you still carry a dagger?” The Prince raises an eyebrow slightly whilst he lowers his voice into a hushed whisper, bending down so he’s eye to eye with the Adviser. “Perhaps it isn’t as peaceful as you say?”

This time Ha Sungwoon is the one with the fake smile. “The dagger was a gift from His Grace himself. It would be rude of me not to carry it about. I can assure you, there is nothing going on here that you need to be worried about, Your Highness.”

The pair’s conversation is cute short, as a new figure approaches, hidden in the shadows of the night. Minhyun stands back to his full height, placing his hands behind his back as Kang Daniel steps out of the shadows, a grin on his face, unaware of the tense air floating around the Prince and Adviser. 

“Your Highness. Adviser Ha.” He bows deeply. “I’m so dreadfully sorry, Your Highness, I believe I must've fallen asleep for a few moments as you left your chambers.”

A smirk forms its way onto Minhyun’s lips. “Really? Oh well, you’re here now, Daniel of House Kang. I’d be grateful if you could escort me to the kitchens. I’m rather hungry but I don’t suppose they’ll have any meals ready yet.” Daniel smiles keenly before Minhyun turns to glance at Sungwoon again. “I enjoyed our conversation, Adviser Ha. Hopefully we’ll see eachother again soon.” And with that the Prince is gone,

*

After they leave Ha Sungwoon and find a bite to eat, the Prince heads towards Incendium Advisers room. He makes sure that Kang Daniel waits outside before heading into the chambers without knocking. 

Ong Seongwoo is sat at the desk in the middle of the room, scrawling away at letter. Despite it only being the early hours of the morning, he looks impeccable as always. His black hair is slicked back neatly, perfectly accentuating his strong jawline. Even though it is scorching outside and he’s dressed in thick black robes much more suited for Incendium, there isn’t even a slick of sweat on him. He doesn’t bother looking up as the Crown Prince enters and continues writing his letter.

Minhyun’s handsome face scrunches up into a frown. “No greeting for your Prince?”

“Apologies, My Prince.” He replies straight away but still doesn’t look up. When Minhyun lets out a cough, he continues. “I’m writing a letter to your Brother, to let him know that you got here.”

“To Minho?” The Prince spits his brothers name in disdain. “Shouldn’t you be writing to my Father? He is the King, not Minho.”

Seongwoo glances up at this, his cold gaze settling on the younger man. His lip can’t help but quirk up slightly at way the harsh Prince speaks so childishly about his Brother. “Indeed he is not the King. Yet, that is though.” He pauses for a while to watch Minhyun’s reaction, but after a few seconds it becomes evident he is not going to show one. “As you are aware, at Incendium I was the one received all letters. Whilst I’m away the other Advisers though it’d be good practise for the Crown Prince as what it’ll be like when he’s King.” 

The younger lets out a huff plopping himself down on the armchair opposite Seongwoo. It’s at times like these that the Adviser is reminded how young Minhyun really is. Living at Incendium takes away a child's innocence very quickly, especially if you were a part of the Royal Household. Seongwoo hadn’t know Minhyun when he was a boy. He’d seen short glances of the Prince on special occasions like the King or Crown Prince’s birthdays, when all the townsfolk were expected to come out and pray for their wellbeing. At the time, he’d been jealous of Minhyun, dressed in his luxurious clothes and jewels, much different to his own plain grey robes, that couldn’t even keep the cold out. But as soon as he had met the boy, he was no longer jealous. There was a lot more to Hwang Minhyun than what the eye saw.

“Do you know Ha Sungwoon?” Questions Minhyun, picking at the skin under his fingernails in a bored manner, much unlike a Prince.

He lets out a short hum in response. “He’s the King’s adviser. He was the one who sent me the letter confirming your stay here.”  
“I met him today.” 

Seongwoo looks up intrigued, quirking a brow slightly. “Really? What did you speak about.” He rests his head on his hands as he looks to Minhyun and the Prince knows he’s finally paying attention now.

Minhyun shrugs his shoulders slightly, leaning back into the armchair. “Not much.”

“Not much? Yet you brought him up.” The older scoffs. “I think you forget how well I know you, My Prince. You wouldn’t have brought him up unless something worth our time happened.”

A grin breaks out onto Minhyun’s face. Not a pure grin like someone like Kang Daniel would, but a devil like grin that held a deeper meaning. “He had a dagger on him. Not even you carry a dagger.”

Licking his lips, the Adviser sets the letter aside. He slowly rises from his seat, brushing a hand through his neat locks. He doesn’t respond to the Prince as he heads to the chambers door. Seongwoo beckons the younger over, who get up obediently. Minhyun stares up at the man curiously. 

“It’s seven o’clock. The Queen will be expecting you for breakfast.”

The Prince’s face falls as he lets out a disbelieving huff. “Are you really going to ignore what I just said?” 

Ong Seongwoo doesn’t respond and Minhyun storms out of the chambers, startling Kang Daniel who was stood in his spot outside the door.

 

*

 

Just like Ong Seongwoo had said, the Queen had been expecting Minhyun for breakfast. It was being held in her quarters, in her own personal dining room that looked over the magnificent gardens of Roseport. When Minhyun had entered he had only expected to be greeted by the Queen, but there was a petite boy with a fatigued expression sitting to her left. He had glanced up to the Prince of Incendium as the heavy oak door had creaked open, but quickly returned his attention back to the book sitting open in front of him. The Queen smiled fondly at the petite boy, before gesturing to Minhyun to sit after he had bowed.

“Ah, Minhyun, lovely to see you this morning.” She had a peaceful smile on her face, that like the previous day, still didn’t meet her eyes. “I hope you don’t mind that my Nephew will be joining us today.” Smiling again at the petite boy she fondly smoothed down a stray strand of hair on his head causing the boy to send an irritated glare her way.

“Of course not, Your Majesty. Might I say your Nephew it just as beautiful as yourself.” Minhyun hadn’t even got a proper glance at the young boy to actually know whether he was beautiful or not, but after years of watching his Brother charm the townsfolk of Incendium, he knew how to get somebody to like him.

His comment caused the boy to glance up at him again, but to just to send a glare his way this time. The Queen however seemed to appreciate this comment, and Minhyun noticed the way her eyes lit up. She very obviously had a fond spot for her Nephew.

“Well thank you ever so much. Of course I always tell Jinyoung, just how handsome he is, but he never listens to me.” She lets out a delicate giggle. “He would of made an absolute lovely Prince, wouldn’t of you Jinyoung.” 

Letting out a sigh at her cooing, the petite boy, Jinyoung, closes his book shut with a thud. “Well I’m not a Prince, Aunt. Cousin Jonghyun is.”

The Queen’s eyes widen and she hastily shushes the boy. “Sweetheart, we’re talking about you now, not Jonghyun.”

Minhyun lets out a fake laugh as he turns to face Jinyoung. The boy is still staring at the Queen, his eyes boring into hers. The Prince of Incendium takes this moment to glance down at the book the boy had been reading and he can’t help but be a bit surprised. It’s some sort of story book, vastly different to any book Minhyun had ever read. The Prince had only ever been read story books as a child by his Mother, after she had passed the only books he had ever been given were either about Incendium or books for his study sessions. 

He’s brought out of his thoughts as a mystery figure dressed in all black enters the room, quietly whispering into the Queen’s ear. She gulps slightly at whatever he’s saying before abruptly standing up. 

“I’m so sorry to end our lovely breakfast here, but I’ve just been informed that His Grace’s hunting party has been spotted.” She claps her hands together. “His Grace, The King of Roseport, and His Highness, The Crown Prince of Roseport will be arriving shortly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wanna One comeback day!!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Personally I really enjoyed writing this chapter, especially the beginning. We got to meet new characters like Sungwoon and Jinyoung (I just had to add some jinyoung x minhyun moments even if it was tiny because of how cute they were in the latest ep of wanna one base zero! We got a bit more Onghwang, with a bit of Seongwoo's perspective of Minhyun, they'll be a lot more about when they first met etc soon. I definitely felt inspired to write onghwang after the mv today. Also I forgot to mention before but in this fic Seongwoo is older than Minhyun. I think at the moment that all other ages will stay the same.
> 
> Did you guys like the mv? It made me laugh because of how dramatic it was. It sucked how little screentime some members got, but overall I thought the song was really good.
> 
> Also my apologises for no Jonghyun or any other members of wanna one/nu'est yet. I felt like it'd be too much to handle having them all come in at the same time.
> 
> Again please let me know what you though of this chapter in the comments, it really helps me a lot as well as your precious kudos! :) And let me know what you thought of Sungwoon and Jinyoung!
> 
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello this is like the first fic I've wrote in years and the first thing I've ever uploaded to archive of our own, I'm not that great at writing but I try my hardest and it's something I really enjoy.  
> I'm another victim of produce 101, I got completely sucked in. I'm obsessed with every contestant on that show I swear. Anyway I really felt inspired to write this and the idea for this fic has been sitting in my drafts for a few months now and I finally cracked and started writing.   
> This fanfiction will mainly follow Minhyun so I consider it both a wanna one and Nu'est fanfic, you can still read even if you only stan one of the groups. Also the current relationship tags aren't final and more will definitely be added, so I'd love to hear who perhaps you want to end up together in this fic. Feedback is really important to me and it will inspire me to continue writing. Constructive criticism is great as long as your nice about it!   
> Also final note, this is a fanfiction, it's an au. The character's in this book are completely different to the actual real life people!
> 
> Anyway enough of that ramble, please let me know what you think!
> 
> Thanks,  
> Pockyhyun :)


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